Aeolus, a fascinating acoustic wind sculpture made by prolific Bristol artist Luke Jerram, is as much a feast for the ears as it is for the eyes. Named after the mythical Greek ruler of the four winds and built in conjunction with the University of Southampton’s Institute of Sound and Vibration Research and the University of Salford’s Acoustics Research Center, the giant aeolian wind harp is intended to inspire the public to learn more about the amazing things that can happen when engineering, acoustics and aerodynamics are blended together.
“The Aeolian harp is a quite mysterious sound, really,” said Jerram. “I think the Victorians were very excited by it just because it sounds quite unearthly – it almost sounds like the aliens landing. It’s quite mysterious and quite beautiful. And it’s also quite hard to predict – it’s hard to predict the sound that’s going to be produced from our string. It’s just created by the string vibrating in the wind.”
via Acoustic wind pavilion makes music out of thin air.
